Humanitarian Efforts In Syria Need Ongoing Support

Jan 10, 2014

Two articles examine the humanitarian situation in Syria, focusing on polio vaccination efforts and the need for continuing support for the provision of basic humanitarian needs.

New York Times: Polio Vaccination Effort in Syria Appears to Have Some Effect
“The first polio outbreak in Syria in 14 years, which caused alarm when detected last September in the war-ravaged country, appears to have been contained halfway through an emergency vaccination effort for millions of children in the Middle East, two top World Health Organization officials said Thursday. … Syria’s confirmed cases — 17 — have remained static for many weeks, an indication that the vaccinations, which began in October and are to continue through March, are having some effect…” (Gladstone, 1/9).

U.N. News Centre: World Food Programme chief says tragic Syria crisis is ‘more than numbers’
“With the humanitarian situation in war-torn Syria ‘getting more difficult every day,’ the head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is urging the international community to continue supporting the wide-scale relief effort underway, and calling for increased access so aid workers can deliver basic supplies to families trapped in areas of heavy fighting…” (1/9).